With their finals hopes shattered by two straight big losses Melbourne improved against Richmond, but were still easily beaten. A last quarter rally helped make the result more respectable, but the season was all but over. The Demons simply had to make it through one more round and their contribution to 1943 was finished.

Richmond took a 20-0 lead with a dominant ruck division and a defence which completely shut Melbourne, and especially the dangerous Fred Fanning out. Only a free kick directly in front allowed them to kick a goal and remain just 19 points behind.

The Tigers continued to be the dominant team in the second, and harder play at the ball helped them kick the first three goals of the quarter. Fanning finally got his first, and his side's second, late in the quarter but his side were over seven goals behind. He had another three shots early in the third term but none scored maximum points, nevertheless Melbourne's ruck finally turned up for the first time all day and helped them to their best quarter of the game. It helped that Richmond became woefully inaccurate in front of goal.

The Demons won the last quarter but not by enough to mount a proper challenge. They had been on the verge of a finals appearance a few weeks earlier but now slipped to 7th.